This invention relates to a machine with a finger guard.
More particularly, the invention relates to a machine in which two tools cooperate with one another and a finger guard is provided to protect the fingers of an operator against injury upon relative movement of the tools to their working position.
A machine of this general type--used for securing snap fasteners, eyelets, rivets or the like to textiles or other workpieces--is known from German Allowed Application DE-AS No. 2,556,516 to which reference may be had for further details. Because of the particular construction of that machine the main drive shaft must be rearwardly spaced by a relatively substantial distance from the plunger which mounts the upper one of the two tools for movement in an upright path. The front-to-back dimension of this machine is therefore relatively large, whereas it would be desirable to have the machine require less space, especially if it is to be mounted on a free-standing support.
Furthermore, the construction of the machine known from the prior art is such that under certain circumstances, especially when thick padded workpieces are being operated upon, the machine drive can be shut down by the finger guard arrangement even after the arrangement has determined that no obstacles (e.g. the fingers of an operator) are located in the prescribed safety space. A machine shut-down under these conditions is, of course, not necessary.